Turin, Sept. 9 (LaPresse) – Israeli players have accused members of the Italian team of provocation at the end of yesterday’s dramatic World Cup qualifying match, which ended in a 5–4 win for the Azzurri. Post-match tensions flared between players and coaching staff, culminating in a scuffle on the pitch.
Defender Eli Dasa, quoted by Israeli broadcaster Channel 12, said: “An argument broke out. They were very, very emotional. They felt out of the game, while we believed we deserved the win, and they tried to provoke us a bit. It's part of football, and we moved on.”
According to sources in the Israeli dressing room, Italian captain Gianluigi Donnarumma allegedly provoked some of their players. “They insulted us throughout the match,” they claimed. The broadcaster reported that the goalkeeper allegedly targeted Tai Baribo and Sagiv Yehezkel.
Channel 12 also noted that some members of the Italian delegation later apologized to the Israeli national team staff for the behavior of certain players.
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